April 2022    
         
         
 
     
  Conserve and protect  
     
  Since 1970 North America’s bird count has dropped by nearly three billion, with virtually all groups of avian species affected. Climate change, the expanding built environment, habitat-encroaching industries, outdoor cats: they all contribute to what scientists call a staggering population decline and the need for conservation research and policy change.  
     
  Trend spotting  
     
 
spotted owl
 
 
     
  (iStock/step2626)  
     
 
     
  “The history of the Endangered Species Act is marked by a contested choice: Should we save wildlife, or jobs? The northern spotted owl is the poster species in that debate,” said Harris School of Public Policy assistant professor Eyal Frank, who studied logging trends and added data to that debate.  
     
 
  Spot the difference between a northern, California, and Mexican spotted owl.  
 
       
  The northern spotted owl’s habitat protection in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California eliminated about 32,000 timber jobs, less than a quarter of what the industry predicted.  
     
 
 
  Wing tips  
     
 
     
  1  
     
 
Declining bat populations lead to increased insecticide use.
 
     
     
     
 
     
  2  
     
 
Some monarch butterflies raised in captivity seem to have trouble migrating south, suggesting that commercial breeding may not be the best solution for the butterflies’ waning numbers.
 
     
     
     
 
     
  3  
     
 
Eye size may reveal patterns of bird biology and behavior—habitat, diet, foraging methods—potentially offering a road map for conservation efforts.
 
     
     
 
         
         
    Spotlight    
         
         
 
     
  For a lark  
     
 
horned lark
 
 
     
  Found year-round across most of the United States, the male horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) can be recognized by its yellow face, black mask, and tiny black “horns.” (iStock/gjohnstonphoto)  
     
 
     
  Interested in getting involved with conservation but don’t know how? Just look up.  
     
  Bird-watching, or birding—as an individual hobby and as an industry—can encourage stewardship. Edward Warden, AB’18, president of the Chicago Ornithological Society (founded at UChicago in 1912), offers some tips.  
     
  More than 150 bird species have been sighted on UChicago grounds. Keep your eyes peeled for these top five campus birds the next time you're on the quads—perhaps during Alumni Weekend in May.  
     
 
 
  In case you missed it  
     
 
 
 
COVID-19 variants: How we talk about viral variants matters.
 
 
Webb watch: The James Webb Space Telescope launched at long last.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
  Support Harris School of Public Policy.  
     
 
     
 
  Visit the Alumni & Friends website for stories, podcasts, and other features, curated for you on UChicago Review. Create an account for a more personalized experience.  
 
       
 
  Sign up to receive µChicago monthly.